The present invention relates to an image forming system constructed such that a plurality of image forming apparatuses and a controller for controlling them are connected.
There is known a conventional image forming system wherein two or more image forming apparatuses are connected and image data read from one of them is printed in parallel by the plural image forming apparatuses, whereby a total work time is reduced and work efficiency is enhanced.
In such an image forming system, where accounting is performed using a detachable mechanical counter, the operation of the system is not started unless counters are connected to all image forming apparatuses which will perform printing operations in parallel.
During parallel printing operations, if any one of the mechanical counters for accounting is pulled out, the printing operations of all image forming apparatuses are stopped at the time the pull-out has been detected.
However, in the case of the above-described conventional method for image forming apparatuses which involve accounting processing using detachable mechanical counters, in order to perform printing operations in parallel with plural image forming apparatuses for enhancing work efficiency, the mechanical counters for accounting need to be attached to all image forming apparatuses to be used. In addition, if any one of the mechanical counters is pulled out, all printing operations are halted.